We share the Oregon Coast with the other animals that live here. Show your pride in the Oregon Coast and its amazing marine life with the Marine Mammal Institute's Gray Whale "Coastal Playground" vehicle license plate.

Every purchase supports the Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute, meaning the license plates are more than distinctive and stylish — they also help support whale research, graduate student education, and public outreach.

You can be one of the first to own the new plate by purchasing a voucher. As soon as 3,000 vouchers are sold, the plates will go into production, and you will be notified when your plate is available at the DMV.

General Conditions and FAQs

Your purchase of a voucher is a transaction between you and the Marine Mammal Institute. For a proposed special registration plate to qualify for production, the MMI must sell at least 3,000 vouchers and submit them to Driver and Motor Vehicle Services (DMV) with payment. This proposed special registration plate is not available for purchase from the DMV at this time.

If your voucher is lost, stolen, or damaged, you must contact the MMI for a replacement.

Your purchase of this voucher is at your own risk and does not guarantee you will receive a special registration plate.

If for any reason the proposed special registration plate does not qualify for production, the MMI — not the DMV — will refund your money.

If the proposed special registration plate qualifies for production, the MMI will notify you when you may redeem your voucher with the DMV for your new plates.

The sale of the voucher is a fundraising activity of the MMI. The DMV does not and will not control the means or manner of the sale and distribution of vouchers.

In addition to regular title, registration, and plate fees, the specialty whale plate has a $40 surcharge due when you first order the plate and at each registration renewal. The surcharge is the same amount for four-year or two-year registration periods.

The total cost of a set of plates depends upon when and how a vehicle owner applies for a new set. Here are two common scenarios:

Once 3,000 plate vouchers have been sold, the DMV will begin the production process. The manufacture and distribution process takes several months. Purchasers of the vouchers will be notified once the plates are available.

To give the whale plate voucher as a gift, purchase the voucher in your own name and address (both billing and delivery). When you receive the voucher in the mail, sign as Purchaser and complete the bottom “Transfer of Voucher” section in the name of the person receiving the gift. Be sure that you also sign as Transferor in this section.

Yes. Like other Oregon license plates, the gray whale license plate may be customized for an additional DMV charge. Applications for custom plates will be accepted by DMV once the whale plates go on sale.

Yes, you will be able to maintain your current custom 6-character configuration on a whale plate, for an additional DMV charge. Applications for replacement custom plates will be accepted by DMV once the whale plates go on sale.

About the Design

Renowned wildlife illustrator Pieter Folkens created the lifelike image depicting the gray whale cow and calf, which has been placed on a two-tone, blue background. A lighthouse sits in the upper left corner of the plate and across the bottom, the plate reads “Coastal Playground.”

The coast is a wonderful place to come and play for ourselves, but other mammals live and play there also.